Top of the World
by dracosgirl4ever
Summary: Molly gets permission from someone very special to her to share the message that he left behind.


Disclaimer:  All things TaleSpin are owned completely by Disney.  No profit was made by the writing of this.  The song Top of the World is written by Patty Griffin and sang by the Dixie Chicks.

A/N:  The song Top of the World is sang from the perspective of a man who has passed away and is looking back on his life and the things that he would have done differently in it.

Top of the World

Molly's feet crunched on the fallen leaves as she walked down the sidewalk.  She clutched her wrap a little tighter as a cool breeze started to blow on the chilled autumn morning.  It was early.  It was very early, in fact.  The sun had barely risen over the horizon.  But it had to be done.   She had to ask.  She couldn't just use it.  Although she was certain that it would be okay.

Upon reaching the entrance she stopped to take a deep breath.  Finally, feeling that she could go on, she reached up and grasped the cold metal gate.  It seemed to creek loudly in the stillness of dawn.

Molly walked up the grassy hill for what seemed like an eternity until she finally reached the spot.  

Her sadness left her as she knelt down beside the grave.  Even though she still missed him dearly, it always seemed as if they were still connected somehow when she was here.

"I've missed you.  I'm sorry it's been so long since I've came to visit you."  As she spoke, tears began streaming down her face.

"It's just with the baby and everything --- well, you know."

"Hey, guess what.  I've entered to sing in the talent show for the Founder's Day celebration this evening.  Mom say's I'm a shoe-in to win, but I think she's a little biased."  Molly said smiling a bit.  A little tenser she continued.

"About the song I'm going to sing --- well --- do you remember how I was telling you how I turned that letter you wrote me into a song?  Well, I was thinking about using it.  I hope that's okay."  By now the tears were falling uncontrollably and she was trying her best not to completely break down sobbing.

"If it's not, that's okay.  You just have to give me some sort of sign."  Molly paused, almost expectantly.  "It really does mean a lot to me though."

Wistfully running her hand over the marble stone, she shuddered slightly.  "You feel sad.  Please don't feel that way.  We all love you.  Nobody blames you for what happened.  You had your reasons --- your problems.  We just all wish that we could have you back, to have a chance to start over.  You were taken from us so quickly; to this day it almost seems unreal."

"You know, Kit still talks about you everyday.  Every single thing practically, he's like 'Baloo would've liked that' or 'Baloo would've done it this way.'"  Molly chuckled softly, thinking about it.

"It's just his way of remembering I guess.  I think though, more than anything, he wishes you were here to meet your grandchildren.  I wish that too.  They would have loved you.  But, I guess one day you will, huh?  Maybe you'll even watch over them or something."

"But I think mom misses you more than anyone.  She never really says anything about you.  But I think that's just her way of coping.  It would be really hard to lose one husband, let alone two.  I don't know what I'd ever do if I lost mine."

Molly looked down at her watch and couldn't help but gasp when she saw what time it was.   She'd been here for nearly an hour.  It had seemed to pass so quickly.

"Goodness," she said, jumping up.  "I'd better be going.  Kit's got work in an hour and he can't leave the kids until I get there."

With that, Molly started off, but turned around after a few steps.

"There's something else I wanted to tell you.  And you'll be the first.  Kit and I are going to have another baby!" 

With that, Molly started back down the hill.  This time with much more spring in her step than coming up, after telling her wonderful news.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

Later that evening:

The announcer called her name.  It was her turn.  

She was a little nervous as she started up the wooden steps onto the stage.  There were many more people here than she thought there would be.  

As Molly reached the microphone she felt her throat constrict a little bit.  She started having doubts about doing this until her eyes fell on her support.  They were all she needed to get through this --- to get through anything.  

There in the front row stood the people she cared for most in this world.  Her mother, looking almost as nervous as she was stood anxiously waiting, looking very proud.  Beside her was Kit.  Her nerves steeled when he gave her an encouraging smile.  'Funny how he has that kind of power over me.' She thought off-handedly.  He was holding their baby, Christopher.  They had planned on naming him after his father anyway, but the decision seemed to be made for them when he was born, even then, looking strikingly like his father.  Her eyes then fell to their little girl.  A beautiful four year old with golden shoulder length curls, not unlike her mothers.

She gave them a quick smile before she started.  

_I wished I was smarter_

_I wished I was stronger_

_I wished I loved Jesus_

_The way my wife does_

_I wish it had been easier_

_Instead of any longer_

_I wished I could have stood where you would have been proud_

_But that won't happen now_

_That won't happen now_

_There's a whole lot of singing that's never gonna be heard_

_Disappearing everyday without so much as a word somehow_

_Think I broke the wings off that little song bird_

_She's never gonna fly to the top of the world right now_

_Top of the world_

_I don't have to answer any of these questions_

_Don't have no__ God to teach me no lessons_

_I come home in the evening_

_Sit in my chair_

_One night they called me for supper_

_But I never got up_

_I stayed right there in my chair_

_There's a whole lot of singing that's never gonna be heard_

_Disappearing everyday without so much as a word somehow_

_Think I broke the wings off that little song bird_

_She's never gonna fly to the top of the world right now_

_I wished I'd a known you_

_Wished I'd a shown you_

_All of the things I was on the inside_

_I'd pretend to be sleeping_

_When you come in in the morning_

_To whisper good-bye_

_Go to work in the rain_

_I don't know_

_Don't know why_

_'Cause everyone's singing_

_We just wanna be heard_

_Disappearing everyday without so much as a word somehow_

_Wanna__ grab a hold of that little song bird_

_Take for a ride to the top of the world right now_

_To the top of the world_

_To the top of the world _

_To the top of the world_

_To the top of the world_

As she sang her last note she looked down at her family.  She noticed Kit was looking another direction with tears streaming down his face.  Following his gaze, she looked up into the distant sky and saw a yellow Conwing L-16 heading into the horizon.  She could feel the tears coming herself.  

In that moment, she knew that this was the right thing…a good thing to do.  Maybe that was even Baloo's way of telling her she did a good job.  

Molly walked off the stage to go to her waiting family.  She only hoped that perhaps someone else out there got the message.


End file.
